Clinical presentation and echocardiographic characteristics of women with peripartum cardiomyopathy: Insights from the Italian Multicentre Registry.

Background: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare, life-threatening form of heart failure occurring in late pregnancy or postpartum, with variable clinical course and outcomes. We report preliminary clinical and echocardiographic findings from a national Italian registry of PPCM patients METHODS: The study was approved by the institutional Ethics Committee and registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05878041).

Safety of artificial intelligence-assisted optical diagnosis for leaving colorectal polyps in situ during colonoscopy (PRACTICE): a non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial.

Background: Guidelines recommend leaving in situ rectosigmoid polyps diagnosed during colonoscopy that are 5 mm or smaller if the endoscopist optically predicts them to be non-neoplastic. However, no randomised controlled trial has been done to examine the efficacy and safety of this strategy.

Methods: This open-label, multicentre, non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial enrolled adults age 18 years or older undergoing colonoscopy for screening, surveillance, or clinical indications across four Italian centres.

Textbook Outcomes and Minimally Invasive Techniques in Resectable Gallbladder Cancer: A Global Cohort Study.

Introduction: Surgery for resectable gallbladder cancer (GbC) encompasses complex operative management, and evaluating surgical quality through textbook outcome (TO) is crucial. This study aimed to assess TO incidence and impact in a global cohort, identify independent predictors, and evaluate TO rates of minimally invasive (MI) techniques, including robotic (ROB) and laparoscopic (LPS).

Materials And Methods: This cohort study included patients undergoing curative-intent hepatectomy and lymphadenectomy for GbC (T1b-T3) from 2012 to 2023 in 41 hospitals.

Efficacy of spectacle lenses for myopia control: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Purpose: To determine the effects of advanced spectacle lens technologies on changes in spherical equivalent of refraction (SER) and axial length (AL) elongation in slowing down the progression of myopia in children and adolescents, by synthesising data from randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to identify all RCTs up to 27 February 2025 that compared intervention groups with myopia control lenses and control groups with standard single vision lenses (SVLs). Data from eligible studies were extracted into specially-designed data collection forms without changing the original values.

Why do echinocandins fail? Identifying Key Predictors to Improve Clinical Outcomes of Candida Bloodstream Infections: a Retrospective Multicentre Cohort Study.

Background: Echinocandins represent first-line therapy for Candida Bloodstream Infections (C-BSIs). Incidence of treatment failure (TF) remains high with unclear risk factors.

Aim: to evaluate predictors of echinocandin TF for C-BSIs.

A multicenter retrospective analysis of recurrent/metastatic nasopharyngeal cancer from non-endemic areas: Results in the pre-immunotherapy era.

Aim Of The Study: The aim of the study is to describe clinical features, treatment approach and outcomes of recurrent/metastatic (R/M) NPC in non-endemic areas MATERIALS AND METHODS: This observational, retrospective and multicenter study was conducted within 36 referral hospital in non-endemic areas including Europe, Jordan, Kuwait, Turkey and United States of America. All NPC patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2016 and with a minimum 12 months of follow-up were included. Data entry started in January 2018 and closed in December 2023.

Beyond Negative Regulation: IL-1R8 and IL-1R2 as Novel Immune Checkpoints.

IL-1 family members and their signaling receptors are key drivers of inflammation in sterile or infectious conditions, as well as polarization of the innate and adaptive immunity. Deregulated or excessive activation of the IL-1 system is associated with detrimental inflammatory reactions. Beside signaling receptors, IL-1-family receptors comprise decoy or negative regulatory receptors, which regulate cell activation mediated by IL-1 family ligands.

Drug-Coated Balloons Versus Drug-Eluting Stents for De Novo Ostial Left Circumflex Lesions: The International Multicenter DCB-CIRCO Registry.

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES) on ostial left circumflex (oLCx) is associated with a high rate of adverse events.

Aims: This study aims to compare drug-coated balloons (DCB) and DES in the treatment of oLCx lesions.

Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing DCB-PCI of de novo oLCx lesions (isolated or in the context of a distal left main bifurcation) in eight international centers from 2018 to 2023 were retrospectively enrolled and compared with a historical cohort of patients who received PCI with DES.

Update on infection prevention in the ICU.

Purpose Of Review: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remain a critical challenge in intensive care units (ICUs) due to the high prevalence of invasive procedures, vulnerable patient populations, and the increasing threat of antimicrobial-resistant organisms (MDROs). This review synthesizes current evidence on infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies in the ICU setting, highlighting recent findings and innovations in this evolving field, particularly in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recent Findings: The review outlines ten key IPC strategies for ICUs, categorizing them into horizontal (universal) and vertical (pathogen-specific) approaches.

Revascularization strategies in Non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction: the clash continues.

For patients presenting with Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI), the choice and timing of revascularization remain complex and debated. This decision is influenced by clinical factors such as hemodynamic stability, comorbidities and surgical risk profile, as well as anatomical considerations like coronary lesion complexity and feasibility of achieving complete revascularization. Randomized controlled trials directly comparing CABG and PCI in NSTEMI are limited, making evidence-based comparisons challenging.

Combining VEGF and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibition in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: clinical trials, real-world evidence, and future directions.

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide with most of patients diagnosed at advanced stage. Thus, systemic therapy remains a cornerstone of treatment. In recent years, immunotherapy has changed therapeutic scenario, being investigated also in combination with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents.

The Father's Microbiome: A Hidden Contributor to Fetal and Long-Term Child Health.

The microbiota refers to the entire community of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, archaea, and protozoa, that inhabit various anatomical sites and exert complex influences on human health and disease [...

Diagnosed Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B and Delta Virus in Italy in 2024: An Estimation From a National Real-World Database.

Background And Aims: Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis Delta virus (HDV) infection have undergone significant changes in Italy over the past few decades, but reliable and updated prevalence of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and Delta (CHD) data are lacking. The aim of the study was to describe the epidemiology of CHB and CHD in Italy in 2024, based on real-world data.

Methods: The number of patients with a healthcare expenditure exemption for CHB (016.

Climate change and urologic care: a challenge for patients and providers.

Purpose Of Review: This review examines the interplay between environmental changes and urology. While there is widespread recognition of the large impacts of climate change on population health, there are specific ways in which climate change will impact urologic cares. In this article, we will review categories and pathways by which climate change will impact care and briefly discuss opportunities for climate change mitigation.

The tumor-microbe connection.

The discovery of tumor-associated bacteria (TAB) challenges the traditional view of tumors as sterile environments. These microbes are engaged in a complex dialog with the other components of the tumor microenvironment (TME), influencing immunity, metastasis, and treatment response. Yet the precise mechanisms by which TAB influence tumor biology remains incompletely understood.

Exploring the metastatic potential of isolated tumour cells and clusters-cords patterns of ISUP Grade 5 acinar adenocarcinoma of the prostate: a comprehensive morphological analysis.

Gleason pattern 5 (GP5) prostatic adenocarcinoma (PC) includes distinct morphologies: undifferentiated solid pattern (US), solid and cribriform with necrosis (CN), clusters and cords (CC), and isolated single tumour cells (ISTC). The role of these patterns in the metastatic setting is still poorly understood. We conducted a case-control retrospective histological characterization of two cohorts of ISUP Grade Group 5 PC, one with nodal metastases (N1) and one without (N0), comparing GP5 sub-patterns distribution, from robot-assisted radical prostatectomies with extended lymphadenectomy diagnosed between January 2013 and February 2023.

Response to biologics along a gradient of T2 involvement in patients with severe asthma: a data-driven biomarker clustering approach.

Background: Asthma with low levels of T2-biomarkers is poorly understood.

Objective: To characterize severe asthma phenotypes and compare pre- to post-biologic change in asthma outcomes along a gradient of T2-involvement.

Methods: This was a registry-based, cohort study including data from 24 countries.

Enhanced recovery and survival after elective surgery for colorectal cancer - propensity score weighting analysis of 2,865 prospective patients.

Background: The impact of enhanced recovery pathway (ERP) on survival after colorectal cancer surgery (CCS) remains controversial.

Materials And Methods: A total of 2865 adults enrolled in a multicenter cohort study (iCral3 study) after CCS were followed up. The percentage adherence to the ERP was recorded, and the patients were grouped according to their quartiles.